Testing of insulated rubber gloves used by employees in your facility is necessary to keep workers safe and to stay compliant with OSHA. Questions arise in when and how to test these gloves while they are in circulation and being used by workers. OSHA has written standards regarding the testing of electrically insulated rubber gloves. These standards do not outline exactly how to go about testing. This article will provide some helpful insight into how to simplify this process.
OSHA 1910.137 states that the electrical insulating rubber gloves “must be electrically tested before first issue and every six months thereafter.” This standard also states that “upon indication that insulating values is suspect: after repair; and after use without protectors.” The American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) adds to the OSHA standard by stating, “The user has 12 months to put the electrical insulating rubber gloves into service. After the first issue, the user needs to have the electrical insulating rubber gloves electrically tested every six months.” Table 130.7 (C)(7)(b) of the NFPA 70E states “Rubber insulating gloves must be tested before first issue, every 6 months thereafter.”
Interpreting these guidelines can be a difficult task. The goal of this article is to give more insight into how to comply with the regulations, standards and the best practices for keeping employees safe at work.
These all mention “first issue”, but what does that actually mean? In reference to a letter of interpretation to OSHA, OSHA replied stating that the “first issue” is considered when the new gloves are removed from the manufacturer’s original packaging.” They explain further that even if the gloves are electrically tested and returned to storage, OSHA considers the gloves issued for use. It is also important to understand that if any electrical insulating rubber glove is used during a task without the use of outer glove protectors, the electrical insulating rubber gloves must be electrically tested immediately.
Looking specifically at the OSHA standard that states the gloves should be electrically tested “every six months thereafter.”, we can conclude that this refers to every six months after the gloves have been removed from the manufacturer's original packaging.
This testing is not typically performed in-house due to the strict regulations placed on the testing process. Testing is done at a lab where the conditions, employees, and equipment comply with the standards in place. In this lab, the gloves go through rigorous visual and physical inspection and are tested with a high-voltage machine. To ensure the gloves' safety, they are tested at voltages as much as three times greater than their rating.
Implementing a testing program that protects employees while not interfering with normal operations is a complicated task. This process should not become a burden for the employees or the employer. This is a big task to tackle but there are ways to minimize the frustration.
Documentation of the first six-month test date is key to a successful program. This will set up the entire schedule. Even if the gloves are taken out of their packaging and stashed in a closet for six months, they are still required to be tested. Factors other than everyday use can cause damage to the gloves such as temperature changes and or humidity changes.
Keeping track of where you are in the cycle of testing can be made easier by color coding. Manufacturers offer many different colors of the same gloves for this reason. The advantage of different colored glove
sets is that a successful program may choose to issue one color of gloves for the first part of the semi-annual cycle and another color set for the second half of the year. This simplifies any confusion that may arise during the glove collection process. Once the electrical rubber insulating gloves have been tested, the gloves are stamped with the date of the testing and the facility or qualified person who conducted the test, this also helps to mitigate any confusion during the glove testing process.
Now that the foundations of a successful glove testing program have been established, assistance might be needed in maintaining the rigorous schedule. SMC offers a simplified method for the testing process. Picking up, testing, and tracking the gloves can be completely hands-off when using this service. With the two-week turnaround, the gloves will be tracked and secured from the initial communication to the in-person return. Employees will never go gloveless with this cycle that has been established for testing.